Windows 7 / Getting Started

Editing the Command Line

When working at a command prompt, you often enter the same command several times, or enter several similar commands. If you make a mistake when typing a command line, you don't want to retype the whole thing-you just need to fix the part that was wrong. Windows includes a feature that recalls previous commands and allows you to edit them on the current command line. Table below lists these editing keys and what they do.

Command-Line Editing Keys

KeyFunction
Up ArrowRecalls the previous command in the command history
Down ArrowRecalls the next command in the command history
Page UpRecalls the earliest command used in the session
Page DownRecalls the most recent command used
Left ArrowMoves left one character
Right ArrowMoves right one character
Ctrl+Left ArrowMoves left one word
Ctrl+Right ArrowMoves Right one word
HomeMoves to the beginning of the line
EndMoves to the end of the line
EscClears the current command
F7Displays the command history in a scrollable pop-up box
F8Displays commands that start with characters currently on the command line
Alt+F7Clears the command history

The command-line recall feature maintains a history of the commands entered during the Command Prompt session. To display this history, press F7, which opens a window that shows your recently entered commands. Scroll through the history with the arrow keys, and then press Enter to reuse the selected command, or press the Left Arrow key to place the selected text on the command line without executing the command. (This allows you to edit the command before executing it.)

It's not necessary to display the pop-up window to use the command history. You can scroll through the history within the Command Prompt window with the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys.

The F8 key provides a useful alternative to the Up Arrow key. The Up Arrow key moves you through the command history to the top of the command buffer and then stops. F8 does the same, except that when you get to the top of the buffer, it cycles back to the bottom. Furthermore, F8 displays only commands in the buffer that begin with whatever you typed before you pressed F8. Type d at the command prompt (don't press Enter), and then press F8 a few times. You'll cycle through recently entered commands that start with d, such as Dir and Del. Now type e (after the d), and press F8 a few more times. You'll cycle through Del commands along with any others that start with de. You can save a lot of keystrokes using F8 if you know the first letters of the command you're looking for.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Working with the Command Prompt
  2. Starting and Ending a Command Prompt Session
  3. Easy ways to invoke administrator Command Prompt sessions
  4. Starting Command Prompt at a Particular Folder
  5. Strings with Spaces Need Quotes
  6. Cmd.exe vs. Command.com
  7. Commands Are Not Case Sensitive
  8. Starting Command Prompt and Running a Command
  9. Cmd.exe and Other Command Prompts
  10. Using AutoRun to Execute Commands When Command Prompt Starts
  11. Using Cmds Command-Line Syntax
  12. Using Commands
  13. Type /? for help
  14. Starting Programs
  15. Open Windows Explorer at the current Command Prompt folder
  16. Using File-Name and Folder-Name Completion
  17. Use a different completion character
  18. Using Wildcards
  19. Editing the Command Line
  20. Using Command Symbols
  21. The Redirection Symbols
  22. The Pipe Symbol
  23. The Command Combination Symbols
  24. Pausing or Canceling Commands
  25. Simplifying Command Entry with Doskey Macros
  26. DOSKEY Saves Typing
  27. System Variables Identify the Environment
  28. Viewing Environment Variables
  29. Modifying Environment Variables
  30. Predefined Environment Variables
  31. Customizing Command Prompt Windows
  32. Setting the Window Size and Position
  33. Setting the Window Size and Position Visually
  34. Selecting a Font
  35. Setting Colors
  36. Setting Other Options
  37. Copy and paste in the command prompt window
  38. Navigating from the command prompt
  39. Printing a list of filenames
  40. Commands Use Paths
  41. Identifying Executables
  42. Modifying the Path to Executables
  43. Modifying the Path with the GUI
  44. Changing the Current Path with CD
  45. Changing the Current Path with Windows Explorer
  46. Capturing the Output
  47. A Sampling of Commands
  48. Dir
  49. Copy
  50. XCopy
  51. SET
  52. NET USE
  53. SystemInfo
  54. DriverQuery
  55. Echo
  56. Advanced Shell Commands
  57. Creating a Batch File
  58. Scheduling a Batch File
  59. Creating Scheduled Tasks with a Script
  60. Using Windows PowerShell and the PowerShell ISE
  61. Windows PowerShell ISE
  62. PowerShell Commands
  63. Verbs and Nouns
  64. Sending Output to a Text File
  65. PowerShell Syntax
  66. Variables Created with a $ Symbol
  67. Comparison Operators
  68. Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces
  69. Running PowerShell Scripts
  70. PowerShell Execution Policy
  71. Changing the Execution Policy
  72. Looping
  73. Collections
  74. Creating a PowerShell Script
  75. Documenting Scripts
  76. Using PowerShell Commands
  77. Getting Help on PowerShell
  78. Using WMI_Cmdlets
  79. Getting Details on an Object
  80. Querying Information on Specific Objects
  81. Terminate Applications with Win32_process
  82. Formatting Output with the -f Format Operator
  83. Filtering the Output with the Where-Object Command
  84. Using the IF statement
  85. Using the Switch Statement
  86. Script Reusability